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Month: October 2024

From zero to 25M+ users: navigating the path to viral growth: lessons from Jon Noronha

Posted on by jill

Achieving rapid growth and successful product-market fit can be a maze filled with daunting challenges. For early-stage founders, embarking on this journey requires not only a solid idea but the perseverance to continually adapt and learn. The Gamma.app team has walked this arduous path from obscurity to 25 million users, and their inspirational story shared by Jon Noronha, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, at our Zero to $1M conference should be a beacon of hope to all founders currently in the trenches. 

Here are the key takeaways early stage founders can learn from Jon’s presentation:

Choose the Right Problem

Before diving into solution development, Gamma founders pondered a fundamental question: What problem were they truly passionate about and uniquely suited to solve? As they reflected, the process of creating and delivering presentations—a near-universal business challenge– stuck out to them. They considered it in light of all the pros AND cons and chose to pursue it because of the potential impact their product could have. For all early-stage founders, it’s crucial to love the problem you’re solving enough to be passionate about it for a decade plus of company building! And it’s critical to believe that you’re uniquely positioned to build that tool. Gamma founders were product leaders and they wanted to build a tool that would thrive via a PLG strategy to growth, to specifically play to their strengths. This is a great example of considering your fit to 1) build the tool and 2) build the GTM model to get that tool out in the market. Choose challenges that your team is inherently equipped to solve well. Build on those core competencies as you scale. 

Lead with Customer Motivation

One of the things that I loved most about Jon’s growth story was how he managed early customer onboarding, made it a point to spend time going through customer support tickets, and also was intentional about getting that customer feedback back to his team at Gamma. Jon shared:

“I was relentless about sharing [customer feedback with our team]… I made sure that every week our team heard five or 10 positive things that were going well. And we were getting some diehard fans out of this. We had a small number of true believers. And when I say a small number, I think like maybe 10 to 15 people who really got it and really believed and were telling their friends. Nothing to really write home about, but still it felt good to us!”

You can’t overestimate the importance of driving this motivation for your team, especially in the early days before you’ve really gotten to PMF!

Seize Luck and Keep it Real With Your Team

After some time of slow traction, the Gamma team ended up getting to a point of “existential dread.” The world was changing fast, with the economy going into a downturn and fundraising market drying up. Yet, amidst investor skepticism and financial pressures, the Gamma team had to take a big leap of faith in order to chart their course forward. They decided to integrate AI to enhance presentation design, tapping into a burgeoning trend, unveiling features that resonated and added unparalleled value to our users’ experiences. They would not have been positioned well to take advantage of the opportunity had they not invested so heavily in customer experience and awareness. What gave Jon and his team the confidence to take this big leap amidst so much uncertainty was the foundation he’d built with users and his team. He shared, 

“What’s interesting is this period of time of existential angst was probably the most productive and fun part of the whole experience of working on the company. I think there is a lesson there about being candid with your team about when it’s time to put it all on the line, I think it’s a card you can only play so many times and we had to play it, we had no choice. So we had a huge blitz of development.”

Jon and the rest of Gamma leadership had built enough trust with his team and customers to seize the opportunity AI presented, and this ended up being a pivotal step in them finding viral growth. 

Gamma Thrives

Entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. Gamma’s story highlights the importance of starting out strategically, remaining adaptable, and fostering a relentless spirit. By embracing setbacks as stepping stones and using them as learning moments, Gamma’s team navigated the complex early days of growth and product development. We are so grateful Jon joined us at Zero to $1M to share their inspiring story!

You can watch Jon’s entire presentation here:

In the next few weeks, we will be sharing summaries and recordings of the talks from Zero to $1M: Winning Early GTM and link them here:

Stay tuned for more!

Dr. Muthu Alagappan, CEO and Founder of Counsel, on defining a new healthcare paradigm in asynchronous care

Posted on by vivien

Today, excited to get to know Dr. Muthu Alagappan, CEO and Founder of Counsel, the modern solution for access to care.

Before founding Counsel, Muthu was the CMO of Notable Health for almost 4 years and was an Attending Physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and UCSF Medical Center. He graduated with his MD from Stanford Medicine and (fun fact!) was also the Student Commencement Speaker for his graduating class.

Founded in 2023, Counsel provides patients with high-quality, personalized medical advice from expert doctors within minutes. Counsel recently announced $11M in seed funding from investors like A16z, Floodgate, Asymmetric Capital and Pear VC! We at Pear VC are proud to be partners to Counsel!

If you prefer listening to the podcast, here is the recording.

Muthu’s Background and Career Path

  • Starting from early childhood, Muthu always had a dual interest in both technology and healthcare, influenced by his physician father and growing up in Houston, Texas, which is the world’s biggest medical center. When Muthu arrived at Stanford for undergrad, it was an amazing place where Stanford really thrived on cross-pollinating ideas across different domains from medicine to art and humanities to AI. He learned that having multiple domains of experiences is a super valuable combination. Stanford had a really popular concept of being a “T-Shaped” person, the idea of having a depth of experience in one area, with the ability to connect that experience across multiple domains. This “T-Shape” concept really stuck with Muthu, which became a big focus of his to develop a deep expertise in one area but still maintain connectivity and knowledge in others. As he has evolved in his career, he admits that he’s more of an “H-Shaped” person now, having two domains of expertise, connecting both artificial intelligence and clinical medicine. He shares that we are starting to see industries are starting to collide in ways they haven’t before.
  • Throughout his career, Muthu has always had a contrarian underdog mentality.

“What do we believe today that won’t be true in the future? What are paradigms that today feel ubiquitous but in the future may change?” 

This led him to pursue opportunities and companies where people were excited to change those paradigms. Muthu was drawn to Notable in 2019 on using AI to supercharge administrative workflows, which was more of a contrarian of an idea back then, now ubiquitous and seems obvious today. Muthu served as Chief Medical Officer at Notable for almost 4 years, supporting some of the biggest health systems in the country. Today, Muthu has shifted to a new paradigm in asynchronous care with Counsel.

Founding Story of Counsel

  • Muthu shared that founding a company was a major decision—one he approached with years of careful thought, aiming to achieve a true alignment between his expertise and a meaningful, impactful problem. His commitment to healthcare stems from understanding that success in this field demands a blend of AI proficiency, clinical medicine insights, and go-to-market strategy—all essential and deeply interwoven in healthcare innovation.
  • Counsel specifically addresses the urgent issue of healthcare access. In the U.S. and globally, we’re confronting a critical shortage, with the healthcare system on track to face a gap of 100,000 clinicians within the next 5-10 years, if not sooner. This shortage already reflects in long wait times, averaging 40 days to see a primary care physician in most cities. As a result, many patients turn to Google for medical advice, often leading to decisions that strain the healthcare system and negatively impact their own outcomes, such as unnecessary ER visits or unneeded MRIs.
  • Muthu explains that Counsel offers immediate, trusted medical guidance from real doctors through asynchronous messaging, providing advice within minutes to help patients make informed decisions and reduce unnecessary visits. As a virtual medical practice, Counsel reimagines how people access care, enabling patients to consult a doctor right from their phone, anytime they have a question. It’s like having a doctor in the family, ready to provide insights and support at a moment’s notice—ultimately improving access and enhancing the care experience.

“Growing up with a physician parent and physician myself, I know the magical feeling of having instant trusted advice anytime you need it about your health. How do we democratize that magical feeling to everyone through Counsel?”

Counsel’s Business Model and Go-to-Market Strategy

Muthu’s advice to startup founders on navigating GTM:

  • Muthu emphasizes that early go-to-market efforts in healthcare can be challenging without prior industry experience. He recommends bringing in an expert who understands healthcare incentives and partnerships early on, as the sales cycles in healthcare are lengthy and complex. It’s essential to address a pressing problem—one that is top-of-mind for your champion. If it’s only their second or third priority, the opportunity may not have as strong a foundation for success.
  • Muthu advises taking the time to find partners whose mission truly aligns with yours—like selecting the right lifeboat to reach the next big island. He emphasizes the value of finding long-term champions who are deeply invested in your success. For Counsel, this meant using an “echolocation” approach, engaging in wide-ranging conversations to identify what resonated most and led to meaningful alignment.

Advocating for Asynchronous Care as a Specialty

  • Counsel recently published an opinion piece in STAT, advocating for asynchronous care to be recognized as its own specialty. This push aligns with findings from the Corewell study in NEJM, which highlighted the effectiveness of dedicated “inboxologists” in managing patient messages. The study demonstrated notable benefits, including faster response times and more efficient triage of patient needs.
  • Muthu notes that patient behavior is shifting decisively toward messaging-based care and medical advice. Over several consecutive years, inbox messaging rates have nearly doubled annually, underscoring that asynchronous, text-based communication is rapidly becoming the preferred way people engage with healthcare.

“The last 100 years has been about in-person and video-based care, the next 100 years will likely be about messaging.”

  • Most providers currently treat messaging as an optional, add-on service, offering responses when possible but without a dedicated focus. But what if we made messaging-based care a specialized role? By doing so, we could provide high-quality, consistent asynchronous care, unlocking significant benefits for both patients and the healthcare system. Asynchronous care is particularly well-suited to many conditions, allowing ongoing monitoring at a low cost.
  • Counsel is at the forefront of this movement, defining, designing, and developing the right clinical protocols, optimized provider interfaces, and quality metrics specifically for asynchronous care. We’re thrilled that Counsel is leading the way in establishing asynchronous care as a recognized specialty.

What other healthcare paradigms will continue to change in the next decade?

  • Muthu is energized by the shifting paradigms in healthcare that are making the field more patient-centered rather than provider-centered. For instance, the current structure of medical specialties is designed around provider needs, often leading to confusion for patients. Muthu envisions a future where Counsel moves away from provider-centric structures, like specialties and “encounter-based” care, in favor of models that focus on the patient’s specific needs, creating a truly patient-first approach.
  • He’s also highly optimistic about generative AI’s transformative potential in healthcare, especially in streamlining administrative tasks to make the experience simpler for both patients and providers. While early advancements are likely to emerge in automating referrals, prior authorizations, provider templates, and scheduling, Muthu believes the most profound impact of AI will ultimately be on clinical care. He notes that while clinical applications face hurdles due to regulatory and safety requirements, as well as misaligned financial incentives, Counsel has developed a model that aligns all stakeholders to support these innovations.
  • In the broader context, Muthu sees immense promise in AI for life sciences, with potential breakthroughs in accelerating drug discovery and advancing personalized medicine. He’s hopeful that Counsel, along with other clinical AI pioneers, will help drive transformative changes in how AI is integrated into patient care.

Building a Team for an Early-Stage Healthcare Startup

  • Muthu seeks individuals who thrive in early-stage environments, as it requires a unique skill set and mindset. Strong mission alignment is essential. Counsel has built a lean, talented team unified around the mission, and they’re always on the lookout for those passionate about healthcare, AI, and startup growth.
  • The team is primarily composed of full-stack engineers, AI/ML engineers, researchers, and product managers, but they’re open to any roles for people who are energized by Counsel’s mission and stage. Explore the open roles: https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/counsel!

Rapid Fire questions:

  • Listen to the episode on what people are surprised to find out and other pieces of advice from Muthu in our rapid fire questions at the end.

Sponsor note: This is the Pear Healthcare Playbook podcast. This season is brought to you by Banc of California. Banc of California partners with leaders to help them identify the right products and services for their business needs.

Startup sales success requires unlocking the power of mindset: lessons from Jason Ferguson

Posted on by jill

In the challenging world of startups, the path to success can often seem shrouded in mystery and uncertainty, especially when it comes to mastering sales and growth. However, with the right mindset, even early-stage founders without a sales background can become the sales leaders their orgs need. In his inspiring session at our Zero to $1M conference, Jason Ferguson shared invaluable lessons on establishing a winning sales mindset, crucial for any founder aiming to go the distance. 

The Power of Pathological Optimism

Even when you’re doing well, a large part of navigating sales is dealing with rejection. Founders new to sales often get deterred and discouraged too quickly because the rejection can feel like a shock to the system! A critical part of learning to persevere is embracing “Pathological Optimism.” Jason shared how he first became a pathological optimist after a few early setbacks. Growing up with dreams of becoming an NFL player, he faced numerous challenges, from physical limitations to an inability to participate in fall recruitment. His unwavering belief in the possibility of good, even in the face of adversity, enabled him to seize an opportunity to meet the head coach of the University of Hawaii when things seemed most bleak. His ability to see and seize the opportunity allowed him to succeed against the horrible odds he was facing. For founders, adopting pathological optimism means seeing potential in every engagement and maintaining resilience in the face of constant rejection. Every founder must become a pathological optimist!

Embracing Radical Accountability

A cornerstone of having the right sales mindset is radical accountability—owning results and outcomes, regardless of external circumstances. For founders, this means looking inward for solutions and taking proactive steps to close gaps, rather than attributing failures to external factors. Adopting this approach fosters creativity and drives impactful action, positioning the company for sustainable growth no matter what challenges arise. 

Authenticity as a Sales Superpower

Jason underscored the incredible power of authenticity in sales. Having overcome athletic challenges and personal demons, Jason’s personal experiences shaped his approach to his professional challenges. It took him years, but eventually he realized he was at his best when he brought his full self to work and learned first-hand that authenticity pays off. 

Sales is often misunderstood, perceived as a field dominated by specific personality types. Yet, as Jason passionately conveyed, sales is for everyone willing to adopt the right mindset. The heart of successful selling lies not in adhering to stereotypes but in embracing an attitude of optimism, persistence, and authenticity. This is especially important for founders who might feel out of their depth in sales.

Real success begins when founders embrace their unique traits and principles, transforming them into distinctive selling strengths. By committing to authenticity, founders will forge genuine connections with their target buyers, employees, investors and more. Authenticity is a precious flywheel with endless benefits!  

A Call to Action for Founders

Establishing the right mindset is foundational to achieving sales and growth success as an early-stage founder. By cultivating optimism, embracing accountability, and leading with authenticity, founders can confidently navigate the complexities of selling and growth.

Remember, your mindset is the key FIRST step you need to take to win in sales and marketing. Engage with passion, act with intention, and lead with your true self. The journey from zero to success is yours to embrace.

You can watch Jason’s entire presentation here:

Thank you to Jason, for being such an inspiration to us and to founders everywhere!

Looking Ahead

In the next few weeks, we will be sharing summaries and recordings of the talks from Zero to $1M: Winning Early GTM and link them here:

Stay tuned for more!

In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about Pear’s GTM Practice, check out our page here.

My journey with founder-led sales: lessons from Tracy Young

Posted on by jill

Sales—it’s a word that often sends shivers down the spine of many early-stage founders. With all the complexities involved in strategic sales, mastering sales can feel downright daunting. However, as Tracy Young’s journey with founder-led sales at PlanGrid demonstrates, effective sales techniques can be learned and applied, even if you’re starting with zero sales experience. During her keynote at Zero to $1M, Tracy gave founders in the audience a comprehensive guide to best practices and a dose of inspiration to help them see that they, too, can master the art of selling.

Her top insights are summarized below:

From $0 to $5 Million without a Sales Team: Nailing Founder Led Sales

Tracy Young didn’t start with a robust sales team or even a deep understanding of how to run one. Instead, her initial success at PlanGrid was driven by solving real problems for real people. Dealing directly with customers—from project engineers to superintendents—helped PlanGrid understand their market’s needs and show that their product genuinely addressed their core concerns.

Focus on Growth Levers

Tracy shared that it’s important to seek out “growth levers” by slicing your market in various ways to identify which areas are ripe for investment and growth. Using this approach, Tracy was able to discover what was driving growth for her customers and that helped her narrow her focus and pitch to attain rapid growth in the early days. In just one year, PlanGrid expanded from five to fifty hospitals, proving the efficacy of strategically leveraging growth opportunities.

Grassroots to Enterprise: Build from the Ground Up

As always, in sales you have to narrow in before you go broad. In the early days, PlanGrid aimed at solving individual project-level problems, which eventually opened the door to larger, enterprise-level deals. The lesson here? Scaling starts with small, targeted wins that build credibility and customer base. When PlanGrid finally landed enterprise deals, selling a thousand licenses at once became easier than selling five at a time. 

Focus on Customer Success from Day One

Achieving high net retention rates was paramount from even the earliest days at PlanGrid. For every dollar sold one year, PlanGrid could sell an additional $0.30 the next year—showing the importance of keeping existing customers satisfied and engaged. 

Show up with Determination and Expertise

Tracy emphasized three key traits for successful founder-led sales: determination, domain expertise, and the ability to sell. She shared a powerful message: at least one founder must embrace the role of sales. And not just partially. This founder must fully embrace sales with determination and a can-do mentality in order to go the distance. 

Creative, Low-Cost Marketing: Blueprint Suits and Donut Boxes

In the early days of scrappy marketing budgets, you can still stand out by employing creative tactics. For Tracy, that meant commissioning local fashion students to make blueprint suits in order to create a memorable presence at conferences. Another clever tactic involved delivering donut boxes with a card promising better food options for future meetings. These personal touches and human interactions stood out to her early adopters, and yielded significant ROI. 

Building Trust and Belief in Your Product

Tracy highlighted a crucial aspect of selling: belief in your product. She advised founders to build something people want and to believe in the power of their product. Authenticity resonates with potential customers—they can tell if you genuinely believe in what you are selling or if you’re trying to offload something subpar.

The Resource You Can’t Waste: Time

Time is the one resource founders can’t afford to waste. Tracy emphasized creating efficiencies, whether through product development or customer interactions. Listen more than you speak, answer directly, and always know the next steps before leaving a meeting.

Championing Your Customer’s Needs

What stood out perhaps most profoundly from Tracy’s talk was her sincere commitment to her customers—the ones who “took showers at night.” The best founders are champions for their customers, solving real problems, and providing tangible solutions and aligning their customers’ success, motivations and aspirations with their own. 

Conclusion: Believe in Your Journey

Learning to sell is a journey every founder must embark on. Tracy Young’s story is a testament to what can be achieved through determination, innovation, and an unwavering belief in your product. Take these insights, apply them to your venture, and remember: you can learn to sell, and you can achieve remarkable growth before hiring in GTM.

Stay tuned for more stories and insights from Zero to $1M: Winning Early GTM as we continue to share the strategies our amazing speakers shared to drive startup growth.

In the next few weeks, we will be sharing summaries and recordings of the talks from Zero to $1M: Winning Early GTM and link them here:

Stay tuned for more!

About Tracy Young:

Tracy Young is the co-founder and CEO of TigerEye.Tracy is an experienced company leader with a successful track record in scaling private enterprise technology companies. Previously, she co-founded and served as CEO of PlanGrid, the leader in construction productivity software that Autodesk acquired for $875 million in 2018. During this time, Tracy led the company through years of massive growth — from inception to product-market fit, and from $0 to $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) — and drove teams to execute on strategic business initiatives.

In 2018 Tracy was recognized by Forbes’ Top 50 Women in Tech and named a Top 50 SaaS CEO by the SaaS Report. She has previously spoken at TEDWomen 2020, Techonomy, Salesforce’s Dreamforce and SaaStr.

Young was previously a visiting partner at Y Combinator (Winter 2020, 2021). She holds a B.S. in construction engineering management from California State University, Sacramento.